Removable apron cloth and head box therefor



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United States Patent O REMOVABLE APRDN CLOTH AND HEAD BOX THEREFOR Casper E. Youngclxild, Appleton, Wis., assignor to Beloit Iron Works, Beloit, Wis., a corporation of Wlsconsm Application March 1, 1952, Serial No. 274,405

2 Claims. (Cl. 92-44) This invention relates to a paper machine head box and, more particularly, to `an improved head box and a removable apron cloth arrangement therefor.

In a paper machine such as the Fourdrinier type machine, a head box is positioned adjacent and above the breast roll over which is wound the forming wire, so that the stock may ow upon the wire in the particular manner desired. At the forward oor edge of the head box is the apron board which extends closely adjacent the wire-covered breast roll and which is covered by an apron cloth extending forwardly over and beyond the apron board and onto the wire.

The remainder of the fo-rward portion of the head box is completed by a vertically extending deckle frame arrangement or the checking on opposite sides of the apron board, and -a slice gate mounted therebetween over thc forward edge of the apron cloth, so as to deiine the thickness as well as the width of the stock stream iiowing onto the wire. In ordinary practice employed heretofore, the apron cloth was anchored to the apron board by means of an apron cloth clamping rod, usually a brass rod extending laterally in the head box and screwed to the apron board so as to clamp the rear edge of the apron cloth to the apron board.

The apron cloth may be made of oilcloth, fabrico'rd, rubber coated cloth or suitably exible sheet metal. In general, it must be thin, at and free from wrinkles in its operating position, and it must t snugly to the cheeking so as to form a water-tight connection therewith. The arrangements for mounting apron cloth heretofore, however, left something to be desired.

In particular, whenever it was necessary to replace or remove an apron cloth in the head box arrangements heretofore used, it was necessary for the maintenance men to enter into thc head box in order to remove the apronI cloth clamp, among other things. Such an operation required the removal of other elements of the head box,

such as rectifier rolls and the slice gate.

The instant invention consists in a paper machine head box arrangement wherein an apron board and checkingtherefor are arranged to slidably engage an `apron clothI and anchor means, that are laterally removable by means of a passageway in the checking, so that the apron cloth may be replaced without the necessity of workmen entering the head box.

It is, therefore, an important object of the instant invention to provide an improved removable apron cloth and an improved head box arrangement for such removable apron cloth.

It is another important object of the instant invention to provide an improved head box having an apron board and checking therefor adapted to slidably engage a laterally removable rod and apron cloth anchored thereto.

It is a further object of the instant invention to pro-v vide a paper machine head box comprising an apron board, an apron cloth clamp cooperating with the board to deiine a laterally extending dovetail-like groove, a laterally removableapron cloth anchor rod retained in ICC the groove, and an apron cloth secured at one edge to said rod and extending forwardly therefrom over said board.

It is yet another object of the instant invention to provide an improved paper machine head box having an` apron board and checking therefor, an apron cloth clamp cooperating therewith to define a passageway extending through the checking and laterally between the board and the clamp, a rod in the passageway, an apron cloth anchored to the rod and extending forwardly therefrom over the board, the rod and apron cloth anchored thereto being laterally removable from the head box out through the passageway in the checking, and sealing means cooperating with the checking, rod and apron cloth to maintain fluid-tight relation at the checking.

It isy yet a further object of the instant invention to provide an improved paper machine head box comprising an apron board and checking therefor adapted to slidably engage a laterally removable anchor rod and apron cloth anchored thereto, the checking being adjustable laterally and having mounted thereon resilient Huid-tight sealing means for effecting a iluid-tight seal in cooperation with the checking and the rod and apron cloth at various lateral adjustments of the checking.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

On the drawings:

Figure l is a side sectional elevational fragmentary view of a head box apron arrangement embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational fragmentary view: taken substantially along the line II-II of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational fragmentary view taken substantially along the line III-III of Figure l.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, the reference numeral 10 indicates a forming wire of a Fourdrinier type paper machine. The forming wire 10 is trained about a breast roll 11 and travels horizontally and forwardly, as shown by the arrow, from the top peripheral portion of the breast roll 11.

At the forward oor edge of the head box, designated' generally by the reference numeral 12, is suitably mounted an apron board 13. As shown in Figure 1, the apron board 13 has a generally liat tapered forwardly extending apron board lip 14 mounted at the forward tapered edge of the apron board proper 13, and extending therebeyond to a very short distance behind the vertical center line XX of the breast roll 11. As can be seen, the forward tip of the apron board lip 14 is spaced from but very closely adjacent to forming wire 10 on thc breast roll 11.

An apron cloth clamp 15 is suitably mounted on the rear portion of the apron board lip 14, and the clamp 15, lip 14 and apron board proper 13 lare suitably clamped together, for example, by means of screws 16. As shown, the screws 16 extend downwardly through suitable apertures in the clamp 15 and the lip 14 and engage suitably threaded apertures in the apron board 13. The apertures in the clamp 15 being suitably countersunk to permit the heads of the screws 16 to be flush with the top surface of the clamp 15 when in assembled position. Also, the top surface of the clamp 15 is flush with the adjacent top surface of the apron board proper 13, so as to present a generally horizontal iloor surface for the box 12.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, it can be seen that on opposite sides of the apron board 13 vertically extending walls or checking pieces 17' are mounted (only the left` hand checking piece 17 being shown in Figures 2 and 3). In general, the checking pieces 17 are adjustably mounted for lateral movement with respect to the vertical walls of the head box, here shown partially at 18, so that the checking pieces 17 in cooperation with the slice gate (not shown) may dene both the thickness and the width of the stream of stock owing onto the forming wire from the head box 12.

The checking pieces 17 thus complete the lower forward side portion of the head box, and as can beseen from Figures 2 and 3, the apron board 13 and lip 14 extend laterally outwardly from below the checking pieces 17, whereas the apron cloth clamp extends between the checking pieces 17, the outer extremities of the clamp 15 being flush with the checking pieces 17 on each side.

In the head box arrangement heretofore used, the clamp was employed to anchor the rear edge of an apron cloth by clamping the same to the apron board inside the head box, and the apron board and checking piece formed fluid-tight Contact. It can, of course, be appreciated that because of such an arrangement between the cheeking piece and the apron board in cooperation therewith so as to form a fluid-tight seal, it was necessary to have maintenance men enter inside the head box in order to remove the clamp so that the apron cloth clamped thereby might be removed or replaced as desired.

The instant novel arrangement, however, provides for a removable apron cloth 19 which may be removed without disturbing the clamp 15 and without the necessity of having maintenance men enter into the inside of the head box 12.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the clamp 15 and the apron board lip 14 cooperate to define a lateral groove or recess 20 which is more in the nature of a passageway extending laterally across the head box 12 between contiguous faces of clamp 15 and the lip 14 near the forward portion of the clamp 15. A much more restricted passageway or recess 20a forward of the main passageway 20 affords communication between the passageway 2t) and the inside of the head box 12. As can be seen best in Figure 1, the checking piece 17 is suitably apertured to permit the main passageway 20 to extend to the outside of the head box 12. Also, forward of such apertured portion the checking piece 17 is spaced from the lip 14 a thickness of approximately that of the restricted passageway 20a, the cheeking piece 17 and lip 14 being so spaced from the main passageway 20 over the entire forward portion of the lip 14.

An anchoring rod of substantially the size and shape of the main passageway 20 is mounted in the passageway 20 slidably engaged with the clamp 15, the lip 14, and the apertured checking piece 17, and is adapted to be removed from the passageway 20 by lateral movement with respect to the head box 12 (actually longitudinal movement with respect to the rod 21).

The rod 21 is wrapped by the rear edge 19a of the apron cloth 19, which is suitably secured to the rod 21 by adhesive means or other similar suitable means (not shown).

The passageway 20 thus functions as a dovetail-like or reverse wedge groove which effectively permits lateral movement with respect thereto of the rod 21 but which also effectively anchors the rod 21 with the apron cloth 19 attached thereto so as to retain both against forward movement in the head box 12. The apron cloth 19 extends from its rearmost edge 19a, which is wrapped about and secured to the rod 21, forwardly through the restricted passageway 20a and into the head box 12. The apron cloth extends over the apron board lip 14 and beyond the same onto the forming wire 10 at the forwardmost edge 19h of the apron cloth. As is shown, the forwardmost edge 191; of the apron cloth 19 extends just a short distance beyond the forwardmost edge of the lip 14 and terminates on the forming wire 10 at approximately the vertical center line XX of the breast roll 11.

As can also be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the passageway 20 extends not only the full width of the clamp 15, but also extends through the portion of the checking 17 aligned therewith. The rod 21 thus extends a substantial distance out from the clamp 15 and the cheeking 17 so as to be readily graspable.

The rearmost portion 19a of the apron cloth 19, which is secured to the rod 21, likewise extends outwardly and laterally a substantial distance past the checking piece 17 and the cloth 19 rests on the apron board lip 14. As is shown in Figure 2, a resilient sponge-rubber sealing piece 22 extends along the lower outside portion of the checking 17 and is retained in position, for example, by a clamping arm 23 fixed to the checking 17 by means of threaded bolts, as shown at 24. The sealing piece 22 is retained in position so as to effect a water-tight seal in cooperation with the cheeking 17 and lip 14, having the apron cloth 19 extending therebetween.

The forwardmost portion 19b of the apron cloth 19, which extends beyond the forwardmost tip of lip 14 and rests upon the wire 10, also extends below the checking 17 and outside of the head box 12. The portion thereof extending outside the head box 12, herein designated 19C. however, is not clamped down against the wire 10 by means of the sealing piece 22; and, instead, the portion 19C is folded upwardly along the outside of the checking 17 and clamped thereto by the sealing piece 22 so as to effect a water-tight seal. A particular advantage of this latter clamping arrangement resides in the fact that the tension on the clamped portion 19e of the apron cloth 19 may be adjusted so as to remove wrinkles and other irregularities in the entire apron cloth 19 within the head box 12, without the necessity of entering the head box.

It will thus be seen that removal of an apron cloth 19 may be accomplished simply by releasing the clamp 23 on the sealing piece 22 and then pulling the rod 21, and apron cloth 19 anchored thereto, outside the head box 12 through the apertured checking 17. A new apron cloth and rod may be slid back into the passageway through the checking and the sealing piece 22 re-clamped in position to re-assemble the instant arrangement; and the apron portions 19C may be tightened and clamped so as to maintain the apron cloth 19 in wrinkle free condition in the head box 12.

It will, of course, be understood that sealing means other than the sealing piece 22 may be used herein and that an apron cloth of any of the cloth or metal materials ordinarily used may be used herein. Also, the clamp 15 is preferably made of suitably exible material (metals such as brass in sheet form being included) that the hydraulic pressure of the pond during operation clamps the piece in Huid-tight relationship with the apron 19.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a paper machine head box, an apron board, an apron cloth clamp mounted thereon, said board and said clamp defining therebetween a dove-tail groove extending the full width of the head box, closely adjacent portions of said board and said clamp defining a restricted passageway between said groove and the interior of the head box also extending the full width of the head box, a rod slidably received by said groove and substantially filling said groove and extending the full length thereof, and an apron cloth anchored to said rod -along one edge thereof substantially filling said passageway and extending forwardly therefrom over the apron board.

2. In a paper machine head box, an apron board and checking therefor on opposite sides thereof, an apron cloth clamp mounted between the checking on each side of the board, said board and said clamp defining therebetween a dove-tail groove extending the full width of 5 the head box, closely adjacent portions of said board sageway and extending forwardly therefrom over the and said clamp defining a restricted passageway between apron board. said groove and the interior of the head box yalso extending the full Width of the head box, an aperture in References Cited in me me of this patent the cheeking aligned with said groove and said passage- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS way, a rod slidably received by and substantially filling 593,400 Taylor Feb. 1J 189g said groove and said aperture, and extending the full 1,641,937 Niks Sept, 13, 1927 length of said groove, an apron cloth anchored to said 1,818,777 Aldrich et aL Aug 11 1931 rod along one edge thereof substantially lling Said paS- 1,898,372 Hyde Feb. 21, 1933 

